La Raison D'etre - The Reason for Existence
by Anime Enigma
Summary: My first FFVII fic. What happens to a hero when he has nothing left? And what will he do when he is given a second chance? Cloud/Aeris fic. Please enjoy!
1. Prologue: Through the Puppet's Eyes

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this part of the story, although I might in later chapters. For the time being, however, I am simply using characters created, owned and copyrighted by Square Soft. This is written for entertainment purposes only; I am not gaining any profit from this in any monetary form or otherwise. Please do not sue me, for I am broke. This is my first FFVII story so please be kind. I've had a case of writer's block for over a year, and this is what I managed to crank out when I finally broke through. This prologue chapter is the only one written in the first person, from Cloud's perspective. After this, all the others are written in narrative. Please enjoy the story.  
  
La Raison D'etre - The Reason for Existence  
  
By Anime Enigma  
  
Prologue: Through the Puppet's Eyes  
  
Aeris was smiling.  
  
I stood there shaking my head of the chaotic thoughts that were running about like torrent. I slowly came to the realization that I had nearly killed the woman I loved. But nonetheless she was giving me a soft smile, as if to say that she understood and was okay. I almost smiled back.  
  
Then he appeared.  
  
The man in the black coat, Sephiroth, the one myself and the other AVALANCHE members had been searching for descended from the tube-like area we were in and. ran her through. It will forever haunt my memory, seeing those loving, beautiful eyes cloud over in pain, as the Masamune was stabbed through her midsection. I barely recognized the white Materia bouncing out of her hair and falling to the water below.  
  
I ran over to help her, my psyche even more crazed than before. Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard Sephiroth talking to me, but his words fell upon deaf ears. I seem to remember responding to the words he spoke, but my mentality was a flood of emotions; the answer I gave to the unremembered question will forever be lost there. When the new piece of Jenova came to its fighting form, I fought like a berserker; once again, I don't remember it. My only focus was on how she had died such a meaningless death.  
  
After it was killed, I. just stood there, looking at Aeris' body, an empty vessel, now deprived of the perfect soul. The others were talking, but whether it was to one another or me or her, I have no idea. One of them might have touched me, held on to me, but I don't recall. Slowly, I walked over to her, ran my hand through her hair, brushing away the locks from her serene face. If I didn't know any better, I might even think she were sleeping. But this was one sleep she could never wake up from. I desperately tried to use a Phoenix Down and Revive magic to bring her back, but I knew they wouldn't work; one killed by the blade of the cursed Masamune was doomed to the eternal rest.  
  
Soon, my senses came back to me, as I regained control of my emotions. I wept silent tears for the girl whom I knew I was destined to be with. I still remember that day when Cait Sith gave us that fortune reading, telling about how we were star-crossed lovers; the look on her face of pure joy and. love? Was it love? I had never seen it before, never had it presented right if front of me. But now, looking at her silent remains I knew she'd never look at me that way again.  
  
Yes, the memories; they came to me like a hurricane: when I had bought the flower from her in Sector 5; waking up in her bed of flowers in her church; our date at Gold Saucer. I couldn't help the tears that came to me as I picked up her mute body and took it out to the pool surrounding the area. Every step I took, I hoped against hope her eyes would open and show me again that look of caring and love. But it didn't happen.  
  
I walked slowly to the middle of the pool, watching her serene features as I placed her cooling body into the water. Before I let go I lowered my head, whispering to her the words I had not the strength to say to anyone else ever before in my entire life: "I. I love you.," words she would never be able to answer to.  
  
My soul wrenched from my body, I removed my hands from Aeris' taciturn corpse. As I stepped away, she began to sink, down, down into the ancient lake. More tears came to me as she eventually sank from view. If there is a God, I will destroy Him. If there is any justice in this world, I will find it. If there is peace for evil, anywhere, I will eliminate it! If only for her pure smile, her caring face. For her hopes and dreams, now shattered I would destroy evil, so that no more innocent souls would have to die. But at the same time I knew I would never meet another like her.  
  
I tried to walk back to the shore, but found I had to stop halfway. I paused, listening to the light whispers of the wind in the empty cavern. It reminded me of our whispered conversations we had where no one else could hear.  
  
Once again I sank to my knees, damning the man in the black cape for what he had done. Seeing my tear-blurred reflection in the water just reminded me of how much of a puppet I was, how close I had come to killing her. My hands closed reflexively around the sand beneath my palms. It was then, in the silence of the sacred place where Aeris had made the ultimate sacrifice that I promised myself: I would not stop, never, until all evil had been extinguished in the world. She would have wanted nothing less. She wanted peace. For her memory, I would deliver.  
  
Having recovered some semblance of basic motor control, I led the group to the exit to the homes of Ancients long since passed away. But as they exited I stood, hushed and unmoving. Aeris' ribbon floated over to me on a silent wind. I crouched over to pick it up and place it in my pocket. Now, if not before, this place was truly sacred. And I'll be damned if I'm about to let such a saint go unnoticed. I exited the cavern with a singular mindset, one I've had for a long time now: Aeris' death is my sin, and I must repent.  
  
End Notes:  
  
Alright, prologue uploaded! Do you like it so far? It's a sad story, no doubt, but this is what will launch into a deeper plot. The next chapter takes place after the end of the game, and tells the story of what happens to Cloud Strife following the death of Sephiroth and the stopping of Meteor. I have the FF.net Instant Messenger and spend a large portion of the day with my computer being online, although I myself might not be at the computer. Please be sure to write a review, and feel free to contact me on the instant messenger. Take care everyone!  
  
Please e-mail me at:  
  
anime_enigma@tokyo.com 


	2. Part 1: For Her Memory

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this part of the story, although I might in later chapters. For the time being, however, I am simply using characters created, owned and copyrighted by Square Soft. This is written for entertainment purposes only; I am not gaining any profit from this in any monetary form or otherwise. Please do not sue me, for I am broke. This is my first FFVII story so please be kind. Now, after the prologue describing Aeris' death and Cloud's reaction, we fast forward to after the game. As mentioned earlier, the perspective has changed from first person to third person narrative. Not too much more to say. Please enjoy the story!  
  
La Raison D'etre - The Reason for Existence  
  
By Anime Enigma  
  
Part 1: For Her Memory  
  
The damned man walked the dunes of sand, no path, no purpose, searching for nothingness, just as he had been for the handful of weeks since what had come to be known as "The Sephiroth Incident." The world had been saved, solely by the means of a small, rag-tag group of fighters, the organization AVALANCHE. Before the coming of the Meteor, only a relatively small amount of people knew of these would-be terrorists, but now they were some of the most famous people in the world. The people who saved the planet, they were.  
  
Some of the members were quite happy about the publicity: Barrett took the opportunity to broadcast his beliefs about how the world would be changed while propping a nervous Marlene up on his shoulder. When the stir finally died down, he began the slow and arduous task of rebuilding Corel. With the fighting over, he even had the gun replaced with a regular cybernetic limb. Yuffie was immensely glad to be a celebrity, going everywhere she could. for free. She still did public events, but only for a fee (usually paid in Materia). Cid was currently working with some of the industry leaders to jumpstart a new space program (with him being the pilot, of course). But others weren't quite so good with the spotlight. Tifa hated being the center of the world's attention, choosing instead to go back and help rebuild Sector 7, along with her little bar. Unfortunately for her, the general populace soon gave up on rebuilding the ruined city, thereby forcing her out. So for the time being she was taking up residence at Cosmo Canyon with Red XIII. She wished the damned man in question had come as well, but couldn't really do anything about that. Red XIII returned home to be with his people, protecting the canyon from any danger that might threaten. Others simply disappeared. Cait Sith was last seen riding off into the sunset atop his Moogle, saying he had a promise to himself he had to keep, as Vincent walked off into the opposite direction, mumbling something about research.  
  
But that is off the subject. The man in question, who walks the dunes with no purpose, came upon a monster in the sand and with a quick slice from his giant sword, almost as if it were just an afterthought, eliminated it. Like a robot, mechanical after doing the same thing countless times before, the man crouched down and picked up the money left behind by the creature and put it into one of the many pouches he now carried inside of his trench- coat. Afterwards he simply stood up and continued on his way across the sands. This man, the one who, quite possibly, could be considered the planet's savior, Cloud Strife, could care less about the fame and fortune he could be experiencing. Even before this all happened he didn't want to be a hero, a savior. All he wanted was a bit of fairness, happiness in his life (and some money too, but that's not important). But even such small pleasures were beyond his grasp.  
  
Seeing the end of the dune and a small town coming into view, Cloud decided to take a rest and grab something to eat. His stomach was beginning to hurt again and he really didn't feel like walking any further with the sun coming down. Slowly, with the same deliberate plodding he had come to be known for among the desert dwellers, he walked into the corner restaurant. Silence permeated the room as people watched the frightening man with the haunted eyes sit down at a table, ordering a cheap meal and drink along with a bucket of water and towel. As he waited for his meal to be delivered Cloud, again with slow and deliberate movements, washed away the blood from his blade. A number of customers, mostly with small children, walked out of the restaurant in disgust at the man with the cold blue eyes.  
  
After eating his meal and cleaning his sword, Cloud stood to exit the establishment when he noticed the looks of a rather unsavory looking group of individuals in a booth near the entrance. 'Probably want the sword. Maybe the money,' he thought distantly as he trudged out the door. Soon after leaving, he was met by the sound of swords and guns being drawn behind him.  
  
"I don't know what you want, but I'd recommend you leave before something bad happens to you," stated the blue-eyed swordsman. "I don't want to have to hurt you."  
  
Chuckles behind him. "Oh, don't worry Blondie. We're not worried about getting hurt. Just hand over those lovely bags of gil you are carrying in your coat and we might kill you quickly."  
  
Ignoring the gang of hoodlums, Cloud continued to move slowly down the street, noticing the scared looks in the eyes of the people in the houses lining the street as the gang followed him down the road. After a few more minutes of taunting threats, the leader of the ruffians apparently decided he had had enough of this game. "Hey buddy, this is your last chance! Give us your fucking money!"  
  
Only the sound of the night air answering him, the leader plastered a mocking sad smile on his face. "Well, if you won't cooperate," he said snapping his fingers, "we'll just have to make you cooperate." At the sound of his order the riffraff all dashed to take out the wandering swordsman.  
  
They didn't get far.  
  
A few seconds later, the leader of the would-be thieves found himself at the business end of "Blondie's" giant sword. "Heh heh, I was just kidding man, I wasn't gonna kill ya or nothing. We're all just really poor in this town, and after seeing all those bags ya got in your coat, we thought you wouldn't mind giving to charity, ya see?" the man quickly explained as he furtively glanced at the unconscious bodies of his friends scattered all over the street. He relaxed slightly as the blade was removed from his throat.  
  
"Life is not a fair game, my friend. Sometimes you put your heart and soul into what you do, believing you're doing the right thing. And to some people you might be. But at the same times, others might be suffering for your actions. Go get a real job, punk," the man who used to be Cloud Strife spat, sheathing his sword and continuing his trudging pace out to the town's inn. The ruffian watched as the cold, uncaring man walked away, never looking back.  
  
'Why did I let them live?' Cloud asked himself as he moved to the town's inn. 'They were garbage, humanity's filth, perhaps an evil of the world. Why didn't I?'  
  
'Her.'  
  
Cloud stopped and stared at the shining crescent moon in the sky. 'It's because she wouldn't have done it.' He shook his head slightly, a sad smile touching his mouth. 'Actually she wouldn't have even hurt them like I did. Probably would have just given them some money and wished them the best.'  
  
He stopped that train of thought before it got any farther. What's done was done and she had left; there was no way to bring her back. It was the Masamune that did it; the cursed blade allowed no one struck done by its unholy edge to ever be revived. But every time, he always got sidetracked: 'Could I have saved her? Might I have been able to grab her and pull her to safety, run away until we were strong enough to eliminate. him? If I had done something, anything different, could she be alive today?'  
  
Having reached the inn Cloud paused to clear his mind of those thoughts of a painful past, and wipe away the tears shed for a brave young woman, now forgotten in the fresher pages of history. Only a handful of people cried for the death of Aeris, most of them her closest friends. But how many of those 'friends' had already forgotten, wrapped up in their own lives, the new changes in the world? But Cloud, he had nowhere to return to, no family to see. He was born to fight, maybe save the world, but now he had nothing, no purpose, except to cleanse the world for her memory. So he walked the desert, keeping fresh in his mind the death of the one person he loved the most.  
  
His contemplations on the death of Aeris put slightly on hold, he entered the inn and got a room for the evening. Tired by the endless fighting, he went upstairs to his room and removed his gil-laden coat, placing it on the chair by the bed and propped his sword against the wall. After taking a quick bath and redressing, he simply sat and meditated for a while, staring at the night sky, asking the same questions of himself, replaying the horrible scene over and over in his mind. Finally, exhausted physically and mentally, Cloud Strife fell asleep in an old wooden chair, forgotten tears staining the collar of his tunic.  
  
With the night came untold nightmares for the man, old beyond his years. Every dream was his own personal Hell, that same moment, watching the person he cared for most in the world being murdered by his former mentor. Deep into the night he dreamt the same dream, over and over, the pain causing him to whimper slightly in his sleep. Unnoticed by the sleeping ex- Soldier, a hand caressed his brow, wiping away the sweat and lulling him into a more peaceful sleep. As Cloud's convulsions ceased, the hand's owner sighed lightly and waited for the coming of the morning.  
  
With morning came a revitalization, almost a rebirth for the damned man, unfortunately one in physical form only. The morning sun seemed to mock him, asking him how he could brood to himself when the day was so beautiful outside. Ignoring the bright rays, he was about to put on his coat, paused, then reached for his sword. But something was wrong. At first it seemed like nothing, but he quickly realized what had caught his eye: His Materia was stolen.  
  
Now normally he wouldn't care much; he had little affection for items or trinkets anymore. But those few Materia he still carried had great sentimental value to him. Aeris had given to him the Elemental Materia, saying that it matched his eyes. She had a similar comment for the glow of the Added Effect Materia. But there were also the Shiva and Cure Materia, the two she used the most before. Enraged at the gall of some thief taking away those precious memories of Aeris, he was about ready to storm out the door and do a house-by-house search, when he heard the telltale sound of.  
  
"Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk."  
  
'You have got to be kidding me,' was the only thought that crossed Cloud's mind as he finally noticed the girl sitting up on the rafters of the inn. The Materia thief grinned before tossing the offending objects to the shocked Cloud and jumping down to give him a hug.  
  
Yuffie Kisagari immediately leapt away, holding her nose.  
  
"Good GOD, Cloud! I know you took a bath last night, but when the Hell was the last time you got those damn clothes washed?!" she asked, indignant.  
  
Still stunned, Cloud gave no answer, instead trying to figure out why the female ninja was in his room. Coming up with no good answer on his own, he finally asked, "Why are you here?"  
  
Still with that stupid grin across her face, Yuffie sat down on the chair and motioned for him to sit as well. Too surprised to do much else, he sat on the bed. After fidgeting for a few moments getting comfortable, Yuffie realized he was still waiting for an answer. And from the look in his eyes, he wouldn't wait much longer. But first-  
  
"Oops, sorry; kinda spaced there. Hey, how are ya doing? Still just wandering the desert-?" she started, before stopping, stunned into silence as he rammed his fist into the bedpost.  
  
"What the HELL are you DOING here?" he demanded, his fist still planted firmly in the wooden rod. Yuffie gulped nervously, asking herself if this was REALLY what she wanted to be doing right now. What had happened to the proud hero she had known?  
  
"Uh, yeah, um, you see, I'm here because of, um, well, there's this thing, ya know, in, um." she stumbled before a clear, confident voice rose over her own.  
  
"It's okay Yuffie; go outside and wait. I'll explain the situation to our Mr. Strife," stated a voice from the corner of the room. Yuffie nodded gratefully before grinning to Cloud, winking at the unknown person and jumping out the window. An exasperated sigh came from the cloaked figure.  
  
"I swear that girl's gonna give me heart problems, or something." said the voice as the figure came out of the shadows, revealing the enigmatic Vincent Valentine.  
  
'Two people in one day. I'm getting sloppy,' thought Cloud, rubbing his sleep-laden eyes as Vincent came to stand at the window looking down at the bustling street. 'What could they want with me now?'  
  
As if in response to his unasked question, Vincent turned slightly to look at the confused blonde. "It's been a while, Cloud. Not very much fun brooding, is it?" he said before turning back to the window, an air of nostalgia in his voice. "Now you now how I felt for all that time. We have both lost someone dear to us, but I have come here for a reason. A very important one at that."  
  
Cloud shook his head, trying to make sense of Vincent. "Wait a second; the world's safe, everyone's happy, Sephiroth's dead, what more could you want me to do?"  
  
A sad look overcame Vincent's eyes as he sighed desolately. "Save yourself."  
  
Before Cloud could get angry and indignant about his answer, Vincent continued: "You see Cloud, it's been a month since Sephiroth's death, and you see as plain as any of us the world is moving on." He paused for a moment and stared Cloud in the eye. "Except you. You're continuing to live in the past, forever depressed over Aeris' death."  
  
Vincent shook his head slightly, looking at the wooden floor. "You saved me from my own damnation, gave me a chance to redeem myself. And now I shall return the favor. Cloud, I don't want you to end up like me. For the past few months since the world being saved I've been doing some. research, of sorts. I have found some things you might find interesting. Please come with me," he asked, turning his gaze back to the lost soul.  
  
Cloud was silent for a while, just letting the information process. Slowly, he shook his head. "No, Vincent, I can't. Ever since she died my life lost all purpose. I only did what I did to save the world so her noble sacrifice would not be entirely in vain. Now, I have no reason to exist. I'll just keep wandering these dunes as my atonement for allowing her to die. Just as you slept those endless nights for Lucrecia."  
  
Vincent sighed again, the sound of a master listening to a foolish apprentice. He leaned back, looking to the ceiling. "Cloud, you need to understand that I was wrong in doing that. I slept, wallowing in my own sorrow instead of doing something useful, honoring Lucrecia's memory. I had to suffer and learn that but I want you to learn from my mistakes. That's why I'm glad to say I've found something in my searching." He returned his gaze to Cloud's questioning Mako-blue eyes. "I have found a way to revive Aeris."  
  
He had no time to react as the blade of Cloud's sword was immediately at his throat. "You're lying! You bastard, you just want to make me suffer more! None of you cared for her! You all shed false tears, desecrating her memory before moving on with your lives! I'm the one who let her die and I chose this path as my way of seeking repentance." Having calmed down considerably he lowered his weapon. "Besides, even if you did find a way to revive her, she was killed by the blade of the cursed Masamune. She cannot be brought back."  
  
Having regained his composure, Vincent cleared his throat to regain Cloud's attention. "For a long time I believed the same thing. But that's where we both were wrong. You see, normally when a person dies they are sent back to the Lifestream to be reborn as another creature or geological event. However, Aeris, being a Cetra and unique individual from the perspective of the Lifestream, is firmly rooted in this world in a number of ways. I think you remember seeing her 'ghost,' as you called it, in the church?" Seeing him nod, Vincent continued. "That's one of the locations some of her energy is most firmly impressed on, as well as the altar at the City of the Ancients, for obvious reasons. But there is one more thing that holds hard onto her memory and her energy: you.  
  
"My research has led me to believe," he continued, "That if all three things are sufficiently manipulated, her energy can return and she will be resurrected, if you will. However, there is a danger."  
  
He was quickly cut off by a near hysterical Cloud, grabbing onto Vincent's jacket shaking him. "Do you mean it?! Really?! Aeris can be returned! If it's only for a moment, I'd die to be with her for that short time!"  
  
Vincent detached himself from Cloud's grip and tried to calm him down. "Wait, Cloud! You need to understand the danger of the situation!" Having gotten the lovesick man to pacify sufficiently, he continued. "When I say manipulate, I mean trying to extract that energy from each location. Now, for the altar and church that's no big deal, but with you, it's very dangerous. That's why I want to know: Are you truly ready to risk your life to bring back Aeris?"  
  
Cloud stared at the ground for a while before slowly answering. "Vincent, I think you of all people understand how I feel best. I cared the world for Aeris and would have done anything to protect her from harm. Now that she's gone, it's as if a part of my soul has gone as well. If what you say is true, and you can really give this opportunity, there's no way I could turn you down. After all," he said as he looked up at Vincent, eyes shining lightly with unshed tears, "wouldn't you do the same if you go the chance with Lucrecia?"  
  
The cloaked man slowly nodded. "You're right; I understand you very well. However, I must ask one question: Can you look Tifa in the eye and say that you're going to risk your life, perhaps your soul for the woman she competed with for your heart? After all, what with her helping you get your mind back in order, aren't you two presumably the closest people on the planet?" he mused.  
  
Cloud shook his head. "You misunderstand what occurred: Tifa did help me regain my true memories, but we didn't share anything on an intimate level. I care for her, yes, but not any more than I would a friend. A close and immensely important friend, but a friend nonetheless. If she doesn't understand that now, there's no way I can force her to."  
  
Vincent clapped him on the shoulder, and walked to the door, stopping midway through the doorway. "Hurry and grab your belongings; everyone's waiting out in the Highwind. I have the highest hopes for this experiment, and I truly wish you two will be reunited. But for now, let's just focus on preparing for the attempt. Let's go." With that, the cloaked man walked down the stairs and out the front.  
  
Cloud, though, stayed for a moment, staring out the window at the bright sun. For once it did not seem to be cruel in it's shining, but instead at token of happiness for his situation. For the first time in a long while, Cloud Strife truly smiled at the day before him. For it was a new day, one that held the possibility of being once again with the woman he loved. He walked out of the room, his dark trench coat forgotten on the old wooden chair.  
  
Vincent wasn't kidding when he said that everyone was on the Highwind; the whole group came along to see if they could lend a helping hand in the rebirth of their comrade. Cloud spent the time going back to Vincent's lab catching up on the times with everyone, and learning what he had missed while he was withdrawn into his shell. But, even while he was chatting it up and laughing with his old buddies, a part of his mind was continually piecing together the information Vincent had given him to try and get a better understanding of the situation. Not being a scientist, he gave up rather quickly.  
  
Soon, though, he realized one person was missing from the group. "Tifa, where's Cait Sith? I thought everybody would be here to see Aeris be brought back."  
  
Tifa's eyes glossed over for a moment - with sadness, anger, he couldn't tell. "He's. asleep. Because of what he did, the role he played in Aeris' death, after leaving he found a way to the City of the Ancients and took up guard duty, determined to stand watch over her. Now, with this being done, he has decided his final gesture of apology would be to sleep until either Aeris is brought back to life or returned to the pool."  
  
Cloud, shocked by the meaning behind the absence of the fortune-teller, paused for a long while, wondering for which event Cait Sith would awaken from his self-imposed slumber. "I. I see. Thank you, Tifa." He spent the rest of the trip deep in thought, about both himself, and the self- appointed bodyguard of the woman he loved.  
  
When the airship landed, Cloud was surprised when he saw the location. "Hey, Vincent! You didn't tell me you retook the old Shinra mansion!"  
  
Vincent shrugged slightly. "Where else do you think I could get all of the information I was telling you about? This was the location with the highest concentration of knowledge I knew about, so I came right back. Cleared out the creatures in the basement and upper floors first, then began reading through those books. Even found out exactly what Shinra and Hojo did to me." He paused and shook his head slightly. "But that's irrelevant now. Come on, let's get you inside and strapped in."  
  
Vincent continued walking while Cloud paused for a moment, a glint of fear in his previously self-assured eyes. "'Strapped in'?"  
  
The malicious grin Vincent gave him in return did nothing to soothe his fears.  
  
After about an hour of fussing around and tuning up the machinery, the equipment was ready to go. All of the members of the once-AVALANCHE came up to Cloud to personally wish him best. After expressing his thanks to Barrett, Cid, Red XIII, he stood as Yuffie came and gave him a tight hug, asking him if he would really be alright. He told her not to worry, and that if all went well everyone would be together again before she knew it. Satisfied with his answer, she stepped out of the way so that Tifa could speak to him. Like the big sister she acted like, Tifa berated him for a while, before finally accepting the fact that nothing could stop him from pursuing his quest. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, "For luck," as she put it. She, too, then stood off to the side, having already conceded the battle for Cloud's heart.  
  
Cloud then walked over to the table that held Aeris, still beautiful despite the weeks spent in water. For whatever reason, the water in that pool was "enchanted," as Red XIII had put it; it was more of a curative liquid than anything else. It was able to easily fix the physical wound in Aeris' abdomen, but only this procedure could return her soul. Getting down on one knee, Cloud took her right hand in both of his. "For all these weeks all I could think of was how I had failed you. After all this time, I still see you smiling at me whenever I close my eyes. Give me the strength to bring you back, so that I can apologize to you for everything that has gone wrong. This time, I'll protect you with my life." Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the long forgotten ribbon she used to wear. He leaned over and gave a light kiss to her lips while tying back her hair, before standing up and walking over to Yuffie.  
  
"Um, Yuffie? I got a favor to ask of you."  
  
A puzzled look appeared on her face. "Okay, sure. Whacha want me to do?"  
  
A light blush came to his cheeks. "Could you put some chap stick on her lips? It'll hurt when she wakes up otherwise."  
  
A light giggle and a nod were her response before taking the said article out of her pocket and walking over to the Ancient. Vincent stood at the chair, waiting patiently for Cloud to finish speaking with everyone. "Are you prepared my friend?" he asked. Cloud sat down in the chair before answering.  
  
"I'm ready for anything. Let's do this so we can have that welcome back party."  
  
The procedure was to be quite simple, actually. Energy would be run through transistors located at the church in Sector 5 and the altar at the Forgotten Capital as well as through the body of Cloud Strife. Assumingly, this would be enough to jar the misplaced life force and cause it to return to the body of the fallen Cetra. All told, the entire operation should take maybe five minutes. But, of course, nothing's ever that easy.  
  
"Aeris, I'm coming to get you," was Cloud's last thought before darkness overtook him.  
  
End Notes: Quite a bit longer than the last part, eh? I first want to apologize for the cliffhanger there, and say that I'm going out of town for the next four days, so you won't get the next part for a while. In any case, I'm very glad that people are liking the story so far. I hope you look forward to the next part.  
  
However, I have a quick question for Halee: What do you mean about the Chobits comment? Since you made that statement, I have gone to my local bookstore and read the first two volumes of the manga, but previous to that I'd never read it or watched the anime. Just curious.  
  
Please review! Any questions or extra comments? E-mail me at:  
  
anime_enigma@tokyo.com 


	3. Part 2: Cloud's Trial

Disclaimer: I do not own most of the characters being used in this story except for the personalities of the "Fates." All others are characters created, owned and copyrighted by Square Soft. This is written for entertainment purposes only; I am not gaining any profit from this in any monetary form or otherwise. Please do not sue me, for I am broke. This is my first FFVII story so please be kind. So now that the procedure has begun, what more is there to tell on Cloud's part? Well, as you will see, quite a bit. Now the challenge for Cloud comes to a head. Will he succeed? Read onward to find out. Please enjoy!  
  
La Raison D'etre - The Reason for Existence  
  
By Anime Enigma  
  
Part 2: Cloud's Trial  
  
The man awoke to a blinding pain, unlike any he had felt before. His eyes, slowly growing accustomed to the bright light that engulfed him, eventually came to focus on a trio of figures in the distance. Finding a path, somehow, amongst the impossibly bright surroundings, he walked to the three.  
  
"Welcome, Cloud Strife," came a booming, yet somehow familiar voice, from the center-figure in the group.  
  
Cloud blinked, as the brightness began to die down and the figures began to take shape. "Who are you? And where am I?" He looked all around seeing emptiness all around him. "What is the purpose for my being here?"  
  
"You shall see," was the only answer from the central figure as the three beings' shapes became more defined and the bright light died to a cream colored setting. As best as Cloud could tell he was in a plain room, no doors, no windows, and. no ceiling? And the floor seemed to go everywhere. He couldn't tell the number of corners to the place. The room, like the three individuals, slowly took a more defined shape, but he no longer wondered about the location, too shocked by the three people who shared the room with him.  
  
The leftmost figure eventually came to resemble his mother, nay, actually became her, wearing the dress that she wore when Cloud came to see her the last time before Sephiroth destroyed the entire town. The central individual morphed to reveal Tifa, clothed in her usual outfit of a white shirt with cut-off jeans. The rightmost changed to a small girl with brown hair in a ponytail and piercing blue eyes, dressed in an elegant but simple dress reminiscent of Aeris' attire.  
  
The girl who looked like Tifa spoke again, "Cloud Strife, we are the Three Fates. We each represent a different period of time in your life: Past, which is handled by my older sister, Urtht, Present, which I, Verthandi, take care of, and Future, which Skuld is in charge of. Our purpose is to decide whether or not this event should take place. Please do try and withhold your emotions except when asked for. Are you ready to begin?"  
  
Cloud fell to his knees, shaking all over. "Why is this happening? Why must I be tested again to prove my worth? All I want is to have Aeris back. I just want to feel her in my arms again."  
  
"We understand your wishes, but you must understand that things are not nearly that easy, Cloud Strife. We must ask you to please cooperate so that we may see if you are worthy of having the Cetra back again. If so, it would be quicker to dispense with your annoying self-doubt, and get this over with would it not?" asked the young girl, Skuld.  
  
Cloud slowly picked himself off the ground and steadied himself before speaking again. "Yes, of course. I apologize for my actions. But I have a request before we begin."  
  
A flicker of anger came across the eyes of Skuld. "What do you 'request' of the Three Fates, mortal?" prompting looks of worry from her older sisters.  
  
Instead of backing down as the youngest Fate believed he would, Cloud stood tall and calmly asked, "Please do not call her 'the Cetra.' Her name is Aeris and deserves to be referred to as such."  
  
The one called Verthandi gave him a warm smile and nodded politely. "Of course, you are right; she deserves at least that for everything she has done. Now, let us begin. Urtht?"  
  
With Skuld still fuming at being shot down, Urtht began. "Mr. Strife, please sit down; this could take a while."  
  
"Please, Miss Urtht, call me Cloud." Looking behind him Cloud found that a chair had managed to materialize behind him. In the few moments it took him to take a seat, the Three Fates had already sat down. If he hadn't seen them standing before him a second ago, he could have sworn they hadn't moved a muscle.  
  
Urtht continued. "If we are to call you Cloud, please call us by our names, without formalities, if you would." Seeing him nod she went on. "Cloud, with your group of friends, you managed to save the planet, did you not?"  
  
Cloud sighed. "I suppose that is what we did. Although, most of the glory belongs to Aeris. She was the one who prayed to Holy to save the planet, as well sacrificing herself so that her prayer could be completed."  
  
"Is that really why you think she died?" Cold blues eyes snapped to attention on the fake eyes of Cloud's deceased mother. "Was there no other reason for her sacrifice, in your opinion? Sephiroth simply killed her because she could call upon Holy?" asked the Fate of Past.  
  
Cloud was silent for a long time, contemplating his answer. Finally he spoke: "The way you ask that question forces me to say that there were other reasons for her death, although the primary reason was to finish her prayer to Holy. If fact, I think that was her only reason, but not the only reason. You see, Sephiroth had his reasons as well. I believe he killed her as an experiment of sorts, with me being the test subject. He obviously had the chance to kill her earlier but waited until we arrived. Having me there proved to be an. interesting event in his eyes, I believe. Sephiroth wanted to see how I would react to a person I love being killed right in front of my eyes. And he got his wish: I used that fury to eliminate him and his evil."  
  
"Do you believe in destiny, Cloud?" she asked.  
  
Confused momentarily by the abrupt change in topic, he paused for a second before he shook his head. "I refuse to believe that either my life or anyone else's is run as if on tracks. I believe in free will, that we have the chance to make the best of our own existences, on our own. By the same token, however, I do believe in certain occurrences or events being preordained. To be specific, I believe in the Red Thread of Fate, the invisible string that connects true lovers." Looking at his hands, he said, "I believe that Aeris and I were connected; Cait Sith said so. With her dying, I became another lost soul to roam the Planet. Perhaps, if she returned, I'd find peace with myself."  
  
Urtht slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Well said, Cloud, well said. In that case I have no other questions for you at the time." She looked to Verthandi. "You may ask your questions, sister."  
  
For a long moment, Verthandi just sat in her chair with her eyes closed, seemingly deep in thought. After a while her eyes opened and focused on Cloud. "Alright, Cloud. I have a few questions I want to ask for myself, but also on behalf of everyone else. But I'll save the all-encompassing ones for later. First, why did you go to the desert?"  
  
Immediately Cloud responded, "Because I wanted to destroy the monsters there, for Aeris' memory."  
  
Verthandi shook her head. "No, that doesn't make sense. You could have easily enlisted the help of various individuals so that the creatures could be destroyed at the source, at their nests. Instead you wandered around killing thousands of these beasts, and only occasionally destroying a nest. Explain yourself."  
  
"If I were to simply use other people and technology to destroy the desert creatures, they would have been eliminated by now, easily. But the purpose of my work was two-fold. Besides working to accomplish Aeris' dream, I also saw it as a means of atonement, a way that I could apologize for failing her as a bodyguard."  
  
"And as a lover?" Verthandi asked quietly.  
  
Cloud was silent for a long time, cut deeply by the seemingly innocent question. "Perhaps," was the only answer he could give.  
  
The girl who looked like Tifa nodded sagely. "I understand your feelings. Do you feel that your murder of those creatures is forgivable?"  
  
Cloud looked at her questioningly. "I'm not sure I understand the question. What I did was try and eliminate evil in the world and atone for my sins in the process. How is that evil?"  
  
"You have a critical blind spot, Cloud. As a Fate, I can see and feel the pain that those creatures felt as they died slow deaths in the desert sun. Although they were monsters, they were not inherently evil. Your action of callously killing them, needlessly killing them, is quite cruel. You hide behind words of 'evil' and 'atonement,' but in the end did you truly accomplish either of your ends? Do you really think that was Aeris' dream?" Verthandi asked sorrowfully.  
  
Staring blankly at the ground, Cloud shook his head violently. "No! I was doing it all for Aeris! She wanted evil to be gone! Those creatures would kill people, innocent people if they weren't strong enough! I was doing the right thing!"  
  
None of the Fates said a word as Cloud held his head in his hands, hunched over in his chair. Silence permeated the emptiness, finally broken by two words: "Wasn't I?"  
  
'He understands. That is a little bit of atonement in itself,' thought Verthandi as Cloud slowly rose to sit up straight in his chair again. "I have no other questions for now. Go ahead Skuld."  
  
Waiting for Cloud to completely recover, Skuld explained the questions she would ask. "Being the Fate in charge of the future, I will be asking you questions of things not yet done. Please simply try and answer as truthfully as you can."  
  
"Understood."  
  
The Fate cleared her throat. "Cloud, you have gone through much, survived many challenges. What do you think you will do after this is all done?"  
  
Smiling slightly, Cloud answered, "Well, honestly I don't know. I never really thought about what I would do after Aeris is brought back. For so long it was a dream of mine that one day I'd go to some inn, get a room, fall asleep, and wake up the next morning to find Aeris in the bed next to mine, just like we did when we'd go adventuring. I've missed her for so long, I think I'd just take her wherever she wanted to go, do whatever she wanted to do. Anything, as long as she'd be happy."  
  
'I don't want to ask this.' thought the youngest Fate. "Cloud, you are answering well, truthfully I can see. However. what if she wasn't brought back? What would you do then?"  
  
After acknowledging the question with a nod, the damned man closed his eyes and thought for a while. Eventually he opened his Mako blue eyes, now wet with unshed tears. "I don't know. If anything I'd be tempted to return to wandering the desert. But now I see that path is wrong. I suppose I might do as Verthandi said and hire some people to help me wipe out the nests of the monsters all over the world, so that people might be safe."  
  
He shook his head. "No, even that would be wrong. I'd still be killing innocents, nonhuman, maybe, but still innocents. Perhaps I'd help build greater defenses for the cities so that the creatures couldn't attack the people. Maybe even build protective roadways between them. That way no one would be hurt."  
  
He laughed softly. "Those are the words of an idealist. Of course, animals would still get in; people would still die meaningless deaths. I see no clear way to protect everyone that's foolproof. In the end, there's nothing that's perfect. Possibly. possibly I'd just return to Midgar. It's empty now, so I'd be alone with my thoughts. And I'd cultivate those plants Aeris grew. Maybe that could be my apology: I would make those flowers grow everywhere, return the city to the natural beauty once beheld everywhere on the Planet. Maybe that's what Aeris would do."  
  
As Cloud drifted into silence, Skuld smiled to herself. "I have nothing further to ask of you, Cloud. Thank you. Verthandi?"  
  
Before the Present's Fate could begin, Cloud piped up: "Excuse me, but may I ask a question? I know that Urtht is in the form of my mother, and Verthandi has taken the form of Tifa, but I don't recognize the person you are portraying Skuld. Who are you supposed to be?"  
  
When earlier Skuld had lashed out at him for asking a question, she now simply smiled enigmatically. "I cannot answer that question now, but ask again later and I might give you an answer."  
  
Satisfied, he nodded and returned his attention to Verthandi. "I apologize, please go ahead."  
  
She smiled softly at him. "Don't worry, I understand. Now, Cloud, for your final question: why do you want to bring Aeris back?"  
  
Surprised at the question, Cloud asked, "What do you mean? By now you should understand my feelings towards her."  
  
Still smiling, but now also shaking her head, Verthandi replied, "I see many things in what you say, but I'd like to hear your exact reasons, in your own words, not my beliefs or opinion."  
  
Inclining his head to look above the Fates, Cloud stared off into nothingness as he answered: "I love her. Heh, never could say that before to anyone else. But, honestly and truly I love her. At first I didn't know what it was: I never had someone who cared for me as obviously as she did placed in front of me. But also, just as I love her, she cared so much about me as well. It wasn't just a one-way thing, but we had a mutual caring between us. I. never had the chance to tell her that I love her; she died before that opportunity was presented.  
  
"Also, though, I'd be happy to simply see her live out her life; I don't necessarily have to be a part of it. So long as I can watch over her I think I can be happy. Her life was unfairly cut short, and she deserved so much more. And she deserved to meet someone better than me. At the time I was a money-hungry, cold-hearted ex-Soldier, or so I believed. Now, I'm just a empty shell of a man, going through live with no purpose."  
  
He sighed, closed his eyes, and lowered his head before continuing, "If she were to be brought back, and decided to live her own life apart from me, I'd be okay. If she decided to stay with me like I've been dreaming of, I'd be ecstatic. But in any case, she deserves the chance to finish living her life the way that she sees fit. For her sacrifice, she's worthy of at least that."  
  
"Would you give up your own life so that she might live out her own?"  
  
Cloud couldn't tell which of the Three Fates asked that, but it didn't really matter. He needed no time to ponder this response: "Of course. I have lived on after her and what have I done? I tried to live for her memory, but I failed miserably. I have no right to say that I fought for what she believed in. She could undoubtedly make better use of her existence on the Planet. If it came to that, I'd be more than willing to sacrifice my live so that she could live on."  
  
"You would die for her?"  
  
"She did for me; I owe her. My life is meaningless without her. If she's not there, I have no reason to be. If I return without her, I have no doubt I'll become cold again, withdrawn into my shell. But even so, this time, I'll do the right thing. For Aeris."  
  
For a long while not a word was said. Cloud slowly opened his eyes to see the Three Fates deep in thought, looking at each other as if in discussion. In any case, it seemed that there was more being exchanged between the three than he could guess. He remained silent as they deliberated his destiny.  
  
After a while (Minutes? Days? Years? He knew not), their eye contact broken, the Three Fates stood from their chairs. Taking the unsaid hint, Cloud too stood. After just watching him for a few minutes, the Fates of Past and Future nodded to Verthandi, who nodded back. Simultaneously they spoke: "Cloud Strife, are you prepared for the providence we have decided upon?"  
  
'In this moment.' Steeling himself, he answered, "I am prepared."  
  
"Let us begin."  
  
Authors notes: Please, don't cry 'Rip-off!' Some might construe the Fates I used in this story as being the same characters as those from 'Oh! My Goddess!,' but what I did was take the basic idea of the Norse Fates from the actual religious background. In other words, these are probably more faithful to the 'real' Norns.  
  
Once again, I'm sorry for leaving with a cliffhanger at the end, but when you see how the rest of the story is set up, you'll see that its actually quite necessary. In any case, I should have the next part of the story up in the next few days, depending on how much work I get done. I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Please review! Oh, and the question posed to Halee at the end of Part 1 still stands. Later!  
  
Questions? Comments? E-mail me at:  
  
anime_enigma@tokyo.com 


	4. Finé - Reunited

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own most of the characters being used in this story except for the personalities of the "Fates." All others are characters created, owned and copyrighted by Square Soft. This is written for entertainment purposes only; I am not gaining any profit from this in any monetary form or otherwise. Please do not sue me, for I am broke. This is my first FFVII story so please be kind. So, Cloud has given his testimony to the Fates who will decide his future. But what will it hold for him? Read on and please review. Please enjoy the story!  
  
La Raison D'etre - The Reason For Existence  
  
By Anime Enigma  
  
Finé - Reunited  
  
"I am prepared," said Cloud, standing tall and proud, ready to face his fate.  
  
"Let us begin."  
  
The Fates known as Urtht and Skuld stepped back while Verthandi spoke: "Cloud, I am going to explain to you the way that our. system works. Each of us has listened to you speak and asked questions regarding the period of time in your life that affects us. And because of that, we each have our own opinion as to whether or not you are worthy of the goal you seek. Since there are three of us, this will be a majority vote. At the same time, though, one of us can decide not to vote if we believe that either your evils have equaled your good, or, in Skuld's case, that it is impossible to tell whether your future will be bright or dark. In either case, we shall now proceed with our judgments."  
  
It was the eldest Fate, Urtht, who spoke to Cloud first: "Cloud Strife, your past is a shady one, at best; filled with various sinister and serious events I'm sure neither my sisters nor you would like to be brought up again. It was you who assisted, albeit unknowingly, the evil of Sephiroth by allowing him to regain the Black Materia and call upon Meteor to strike the Planet. It was you who destroyed two Mako generators in Midgar, killing untold numbers of people. And it was you who almost murdered the woman you are now here to bring back, although it outside of your control.  
  
"However, I believe that from the events that occurred surrounding the reappearance of Sephiroth have managed to change you into a much better individual. When once you were a heartless man, who cared only about how his next pay would come in, you have matured into a person who deeply cares about the people you come to meet and interact with; the situation with Aeris is but one extreme and sad example. On the whole, I believe that your past is one that has benefited you greatly and may possibly serve as an example to future generations of how a hero should act. I am proud to say that I believe your past to be an honorable one and therefore give permission for the resurrection of Aeris."  
  
Cloud nodded thankfully to the eldest Fate, before turning his attention to the Fate of the Present. "Please, go ahead."  
  
"Cloud, when the whole incident was over, you were heartbroken, emotionally crushed, to say the least. But yet you held on strong to the memory of Aeris, going on day after day doing what you believed to be the right thing, something that would have been what Aeris would have wished for: an end to evil in the world. And so you wandered the desert sands, fighting the endless creatures, slaying untold numbers of monsters as your way of atonement, but also to remember the one you loved.  
  
"As I discussed with you earlier, you could have easily gone and talked to others to help you destroy the nests of these things, but instead you inflicted cruel punishment to creatures that had not yet done any evil. You tried to rationalize your actions by saying that it was for Aeris, but now you know that that cannot be true. You also tried to make yourself believe that those creatures would have done evil, therefore making your destruction of them prior to the fact a necessary evil. But, once again, you have learned that such an action was incorrect and immoral in itself. While your realization of this is the beginning of penitence, it cannot completely overshadow the maliciousness of your actions. For that reason, I do not find enough reason to allow you to bring Aeris back to life. Please, forgive me," she asked of the stunned man, as she buried her face in her hands, kneeling down to the floor.  
  
He gave no answer to the crying woman, the one who had taken the form of his friend Tifa. 'I've made Tifa cry two times now,' he thought absently as he stared ahead to the youngest Fate, the one who would decide whether or not he could have his love back.  
  
After composing herself, Verthandi stood up again and motioned to her younger sister to go ahead, with a slight smile of her lips. Skuld nodded slightly and turned to the waiting man. "Cloud Strife, being the Fate who watches over the future, I see many different things in store for you. But the future is not a set thing; it never has been and never will be. I see some futures where you return with Aeris and are heartbroken and despondent when either she or Tifa leave to lead their own lives; you then fall back into your black hole of despair, never to return to your normal self again. At the same time, though I see futures where you both return and live happy, fruitful lives, some together as lovers, some as friends, some as neither. There are, of course, other futures, but none of them have any relevance to the decision that is being placed in front of me. I am sad to say that the frequency of these two different types of futures is essentially equal.  
  
"I believe that the Cloud Strife that stands in front of me is a good and noble man, one who has returned from the darkest recesses of man's anguish. However, as I have said, I have no solid evidence to prove that you shall not return to that darkness that resides within your soul. By the same token, though, there is no evidence that says you shall return to that inherent evil. Due to the nature of this situation, I find myself at a deadlock: there is no evidence to either bless or condemn you. For that reason, I will withhold my judgment of you," she finished, leaving a blank look on Cloud's face.  
  
Timidly, he asked, "So, what happens now? The vote is equal, 1-1. I don't understand the meaning of this decision!"  
  
Verthandi spoke up: "Since we have tied on the vote, it no longer rests in our hands. Fate, the kind that no hand, either god or mortal controls, shall take our stead. Fare well, Cloud Strife; I wish you the best. Perhaps one day we will meet again. But until then, good bye."  
  
Cloud watched as the woman masquerading as Tifa vanished into nothingness then felt a pressure on his shoulder. Turning he found himself face to face with his mother. 'Urtht,' he reminded himself. 'She is Urtht, only pretending to be my mother.'  
  
The woman in front of him sighed sadly. "I truly believe you worthy of being with your love, Cloud. But there is nothing more that either myself or any of my sisters can do. You shall be left in this room, and the sands of time shall make the final decision. Take care, and do not hesitate should the chance present itself. True love, like the kind between the two of you is rarer than you'd believe. Farewell." Then, she too, faded away.  
  
He was left facing the youngest Fate, Skuld. "I'm sorry," she said. "I wish that I could have voted to have you and her be back together, but I didn't have enough solid indications to say that your future would be what you think it would be. I am truly sorry." As she stepped away, Cloud spoke.  
  
"Wait, please. You told me if I asked again, you'd tell me who you are supposed to be. Will you tell me now?"  
  
A look of anguish crossed her eyes as she contemplated her answer. "It is my belief that, depending on what your future holds, the knowledge could be extremely detrimental to your health. If you are allowed to bring her back, then I shall return and tell you. Otherwise. you're better off not knowing. I'm sorry."  
  
With that, the final Fate disappeared into nothingness. Once again exhausted, Cloud returned to his chair and waited. For what he did not know, as he had no clear idea as to what was going to happen now that the "sands of time" were in charge of his future. He tried to figure out what the whole meaning of this was know, especially if the Three Fates could not interpret what he was worthy of happening to him. A number of scenarios went through his head as he tried to guess what might happen to him. Maybe he'd be allowed to be with Aeris for a short while before being plunged back to his body and being forced to watch her body disintegrate into nothingness. After all he'd been through, would it have a purpose afterwards, besides to remind him of his failure? Or perhaps he'd be sent on a long journey to prove his worth to the gods. But in the end he couldn't come up with a strong, logically based answer, so he gave up and began trying to decipher the mysteries of the enigmatic room he was in. Or in other words did absolutely nothing.  
  
So he simply waited. An eternity passed, perhaps several, before a change occurred in the room. At first he thought that it was his mind playing tricks on him after such a long time, but soon the change became more prominent. A portal appeared in what could be considered the wall of the room and out stepped an angel. No, his angel. Her eyes still sparkled with the vibrant life he had known so well. Her skin carried the vitality he had been hoping to see so much again. Overcome by the emotions of it all he broke down, holding hard onto her slender, but strong frame. Soon her tears were mixed with his as they cried in each other's arms. After they finally tears finally ceased, Cloud lifted her head from his chest (when did she rest it there?) and gently gripped her chin, bringing her up for a kiss.  
  
It was soft and tender, just as he had imagined it would be, in all those daydreams he had suffered through over the time following her death. He held her tighter, determined to not let go of her, not now, not ever. All he wanted was for this to go on into eternity.  
  
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"Why?! Why won't you wake up?! Come home Cloud! Please! I love you, you know! I want to see you happy; even if you're with Aeris, I just want to see you smile one more time!" cried Tifa, shaking the body of Cloud oh so gently.  
  
Barrett had one hand on her shoulder as she continued to cry into the shoulder of her dead childhood friend. "Come on Tifa; let it go. He's gone, but he's with Aeris now. Just like he wanted to be. Let's leave them in peace."  
  
Slowly she stood up, steadying herself before walking out of the lab, her eyes cast to the ground. Vincent was busy trying to comfort Yuffie while the others were quietly lamenting the final passing of two of the group's bravest. But all of the quiet murmuring ceased as Tifa, the one who had now lost Cloud twice, walked out to the front. While they did not care for Cloud in the same way that Tifa did, his passing nonetheless devastated them. Now was a time for remembrance, a time for mourning.  
  
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It was a week later before the funeral. Everyone was dressed in their best clothes, coming by the Forgotten Capital to pay their last respects to their fallen comrades. One by one they came up to the pool where now two rested, to pray, speak final words, or simply drop off gifts in their memory. Cait Sith promised everyone there that he would stay here until his body disintegrated into nothingness by the passage of time. Red XIII vowed to come by and check on the pool from time to time and make sure all was well. Satisfied by their oaths, the group that had once been AVALANCHE left the sacred pool, all except a lonely woman and a robot with a word to keep. The woman's silent tears were the last things to break the serene calmness of the pool's surface for hundreds of years.  
  
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Cloud and Aeris watched the funeral from the Lifestream, feeling horrible for the sadness that they were causing. But now that the decision had been made, nothing could be done to take it back. Although they could do nothing directly to help their former comrades, they were able to manipulate certain aspects of the surroundings, trying to give some sign to the others that everything was all right. Their efforts went unnoticed, except, perhaps, by the watchful eye of Red XIII. Where the destined couple had attempted to make some of the background move unnaturally, he had watched silently, not drawing anyone's attention to it. Perhaps a quiet funeral was best.  
  
Cloud sighed quietly as everyone left the pool, putting one arm around Aeris' shoulder. "Well, we tried our best to comfort them, but maybe they'll be able to move on."  
  
Aeris moved in closer to take better advantage of the arm Cloud had placed around her. "I feel sorry, but I think that this has made them stronger, as a family, of sorts. They'll survive, Cloud. Just like you did after I died."  
  
"Yeah, I suppose."  
  
Being heroes of the Planet definitely had some perks. Due to their role in the saving of the Planet from Sephiroth, they were allowed to retain their individuality even amongst the Lifestream for as long as they pleased. After they had fully comprehended the significance of the decision Time itself had made, they decided that they would wait together until everyone had come back to the Planet, just to say thank you to everyone individually. But today, something else was in store for them.  
  
As the pair moved to see off their comrades, a rift appeared in the dimension, revealing the youthful Skuld in her true form, a young girl with long blonde hair wearing the robes of the Fates, a rather elaborate clothe for one as youthful looking as her. Aeris smiled at seeing her again. "Ah, Skuld! It's been a while. How have you been doing?"  
  
Skuld smiled at them and replied, "Well, you know how it can be. Something's always going on. I barely managed to get some time away from my post to come and see you two."  
  
"What can we do for you, Skuld? Is there something that you need us for?" asked Cloud.  
  
At his questions, Skuld looked down at the ground at grimaced slightly. 'But I promised.' she thought to herself before re-establishing eye contact with Cloud. "Since you two are now together for as long as you please, I decided that I should come back and offer you that knowledge one more time. Last time we really were able to talk, during the judgment, you told me you wanted to know whom I was portraying. Do you still wish to learn that information?"  
  
Cloud closed his eyes in thought. "I really don't know. Has Aeris ever seen you looking like that?"  
  
Squeezing him tighter around his waist, Aeris asked, "What do you mean Cloud? Did she look different than now?"  
  
It was Skuld who answered. "Yes, I did. I looked like this."  
  
A bright light momentarily forced Cloud and Aeris to look away, but when they did Skuld had retaken the identity of the young girl in the dress similar to Aeris'. "Do you both really wish to know?"  
  
Looking down to Aeris and seeing her nod, Cloud smiled slightly and answered, "Yes, we wish to know."  
  
And so Skuld explained who she was supposed to be. Aeris' eyes slowly gained recognition before she turned to Cloud, holding him tight as she shed silent tears. For his part, Cloud simply closed his eyes and shook his head, trying his best to comfort his distraught soul mate.  
  
Skuld bowed deeply, her own eyes brimming with tears, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you listen to that. I only made you hurt more."  
  
Surprisingly, Aeris pulled away from Cloud's chest with a light smile on her visage. "It hurts, but I'm glad to know."  
  
Cloud simply smiled to her before pulling Aeris back into his embrace. And with her job done, the Fate of the Future disappeared once again.  
  
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Eventually, as all good things do, their time together came to an end. But it was many hundreds of years later, after everyone, including Red XIII, had returned to the Lifestream. Reunited once again, the group that many years ago had been known as AVANLANCHE reminisced over the days of old, remembering the time they spent together. Being the only one who had not seen Aeris, Red XIII was the sole person asking questions, seeing how she was, what she knew, and the sort. But not many questions. Now was not a time to dwell on such bad experiences. Untold time was spent by the Planet's heroes simply talking, being happy.  
  
Soon, though, their energy was all returned to the Lifestream, everyone saying their final goodbyes. Slowly, everyone drifted away, to be reborn on the Planet. The last two smiled softly at one another, before kissing deeply as their souls were sent to be reincarnated. But death cannot keep star-crossed lovers apart. Even in other lifetimes, the souls of Cloud Strife and Aeris Gainsborough would be rejoined. But that's another story altogether.  
  
Author's Notes: Whew! Man, that took longer than I thought. I know that some people were looking forward to an ending where Cloud and Aeris would be reunited in the living world, but I also know that some people felt that the dramatic impact of Aeris being dead is a large part of why Final Fantasy VII was such a good game. I personally am a fan of Cloud x Aeris over any other pairing, but I felt this was a somewhat fitting ending.  
  
But to those looking for something else, let me just say that I am not done. To paraphrase Ritsuko Akagi, "This is the reality, but only one of many realities."  
  
Confused yet? Stay tuned, kids.  
  
Comments? Questions? Rants? Raves?  
  
E-mail me at:  
  
anime_enigma@tokyo.com 


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